


He Likes His Men Like He Likes His Coffee

by orphan_account



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-15
Updated: 2014-01-15
Packaged: 2018-01-08 20:01:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1136776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aomine hates his job and the customers that come along with it. That is, until Kise stumbles upon his coffee shop for the first time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	He Likes His Men Like He Likes His Coffee

There are many ways an individual’s personality can be revealed.

Such as the way a person composes their posture, or the way they dress, or the way they maintain eye contact. Little things, that most people don’t essentially think screams ‘ _this is me_ ’. Every person has their own way of picking up on such subtle matters, because it’s natural, as humans, to try to figure a person out by visual inspection…

…For Aomine Daiki, his way of determining a person is through coffee. How they order their coffee, to be exact. People seemed to order their drinks with a sense of pride; as though stating ‘with two shots of espresso, half 2% milk, half soy’ made them stand out from the rest of the caffeine-deprived customers behind them in line. In all honesty, such people pissed Aomine off. Because, other than making his job more difficult, how did the type of milk added make a difference to the taste of the beverage?

Now, to Aomine, there were two types of people in the world. Jackasses, and people who weren’t jackasses. And it was quite simple for him to establish one from the other. Jackasses usually walked in with their head held high, and would proceed to order an intricate beverage with their nose pointed up as if he actually gave a flying fuck about the complexity of their drink. Coffee is coffee. And if you try to take the simplicity out of such a concept, you’re a jackass.

“That drink was taken off the menu last week,” Aomine practically hissed through his teeth as he glared down at the woman on the other side of the counter. One thing he hated most about seasonal drinks was them going out of season.

“Well, I don’t want any other drink but that one.”

“And like I said before, it was taken off of the menu last week.”

Before any further words could be exchanged, an arm was extended out in front of him as to nudge him back a bit, and a genuine ‘ _sorry_ ’ directed at the demanding customer was heard from the perpetrator.

“He’s having an off day, please forgive him. If you’d like, I can see if we still happen to have the necessary ingredients to make your drink,” Satsuki continued on as if he wasn’t even there.

It was more instinct than anything, but Aomine rolled his eyes, and crossed his arms as he waited for Satsuki to move out of the way. After concluding things with the customer, she turned around and lightly smacked his well-developed chest with the back of her hand.

“At least _act_ like you’re happy to be here.”

“Well, I’m not,” he murmured with apparent frustration and made his way back to the cash register. “It’s supposed to be my fucking day off.”

Many days were _supposed_ to be his days off, but somehow, he was usually the first one to get called in whenever they needed help. He hated his job. Aomine wasn’t necessarily what some would call a ‘ _people person_ ’, and he wasn’t fond of the idea of waking up early to take the orders of unappreciative customers.

“You’ll be okay, Dai-chan. Just smile for once, okay? You’re scaring the customers away.”

It wasn’t the first time he had heard that one, and it most definitely would not be the last.

A short sigh escaped his lips as to assure that what Satsuki had said wasn’t being disregarded, although managing a smile seemed impossible at the time. He couldn’t even cope with wearing a smile outside of work, what made Satsuki think—

“Good morning!”

Aomine clenched his jaw and winced somewhat because _shit, that voice was boisterous._ It was much too early cheerful entrances… _much too early_. He brought his irritated glare to the jovial greeter to see a blond male with a wide set grin. Although he looked to be warm with the several layers he was wearing, there was a dark red tint to his cheeks and the tip of his nose. He was new, which wasn’t that startling being that Tokyo was a rather large city.

“It’s freezing out there!” The blond stated through chattering teeth as he rubbed his gloved hands together. He seemed to be talking to Aomine, being that he was looking straight in his direction. And the realization was a bit off-putting, because Aomine didn’t know how to converse for shit. Instead, he just nodded his head a bit stiffly as though he were agreeing with the other’s statement.

The new kid made his way to the counter with his hands still folded out in front of him, and a warm smile set on his lips. “Seems like you’re having a busy day, huh?” He stated jokingly as his eyes peer around the rather empty area. Usually at that time they’d have customers filing in for their morning cup of coffee before heading off for work, but fortunately for Aomine, it was the weekend, so their traffic was a lot lighter.

“Yeah. What can I get you?” Aomine asked dryly with an unamused expression set on his features; although this didn’t seem to shake the other’s jovial façade.

“Hmm…” His honey-brown eyes trailed up to the menu, and he examined it for a while before responding, “A vanilla latte. No sugar, I’m supposed to be cutting back on the sweets.”

A simple drink. Which put him on the opposite end of being a jackass. At least for the time being. He looked as though he would be someone Aomine wouldn’t get along with, mainly because he couldn’t stand morning people.

The blue-haired male’s brows rose a bit, surprised at the simplicity of his drink, as he reached over for a cup. “And your name?” Not that it really mattered, being that he was the only one ordering at that moment, but Aomine was… interested.

“Hm?” He seemed a bit surprised by the inquiry. “Oh…! Kise.”

Without second thought, Aomine wrote the given name on the plastic cup and handed it over to Satsuki. Kise paid for his drink accordingly, and then continued to attempt idle chitchat as he waited.

“I’m surprised I haven’t stumbled upon this place before. It’s really cozy,” he stated before pushing a loose blond strand behind his ear. “I usually get coffee before my photo shoots and…”

 _Wow, this kid talks a lot._ Most people would order their drink and then move to the end of the counter where there coffee would be served, but for some reason, Kise felt the need to stay by the cash register. It wasn’t as though Aomine was partaking in the conversation as well. If anything, he stood there with a deadpan that screamed ‘ _I don’t fucking care_ ’ the whole time. But it didn’t seem that the blond noticed. That, or he cared just as much as Aomine did.

“Oh my god!” Satsuki, for the second time that day, pushed past Aomine as to plant her feet in his spot. “You’re the famous model Kise Ryouta! I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you at first!”

“Heh…” Kise rubbed at the back of his head and flashed her a picture-worthy smile. “Yeah… Photoshop does that to ya.”

Now that Satsuki mentioned it, he did look a bit familiar. Not that he essentially paid much attention to fashion or ads, but this kid’s face was _everywhere_.

Seeing as Satsuki was beginning to engage in conversation with the blond, Aomine sauntered off to continue preparing the beverage for him. She quickly peered over her shoulder with an amused expression, and _fuck_ he hated when she looked at him like that, because it was as though she were silently mocking him. Yeah, it was a bit out of his character to take over her job for the moment. He always made sure to do the bare minimum. But Kise’s drink was rather simple… so he didn’t mind…

He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t been paying attention to what was being discussed, or that he wasn’t interested. In that mere two minutes, he found out more about that blond than he’s probably found out about people he’s known for years.

Supposedly, Kise's a college student who models part time. _Community college_ , he made sure to emphasize. Because his grades were never that up-to-par throughout high school; he was more concerned with his future in the model industry, anyways. He used his hands a lot while he talked. As though his words weren’t expressive enough, he threw his hands out in various directions as though the movements made his story that more appealing.

“Here,” Aomine murmured as he extended Kise’s beverage out to him over the cash register.

“Thank you…” He chirped happily as he wrapped his slender fingers around the cup of his coffee. “…Aomine _cchi_.”

The last bit caught Aomine off-guard because, _when the hell did he give him his name_? And _what the hell was up with the silly nickname?_ His brows furrowed, and he drew his hand back snappily as to avoid any unwanted body contact with the other. Several responses such as ‘ _don’t call me that_ ’ and ‘ _yeah, whatever_ ’ resonated through his mind but he couldn’t seem to vocalize his thoughts. Aomine doesn’t get speechless, because there’s nothing another person can usually say that would make him care.

“Your nametag…” Kise pointed a finger to his chest. His eyes peer down in the direction that the blond was pointing, and _fuck._ How could he forget that his name was practically plastered to his shirt for every customer to see? He swallowed over the lump rising in his throat, and gradually brought his impassive gaze back up to the other standing across from him. As they made eye contact, Kise gave him another smile that made him want to reach over the counter and knock his coffee out of his hand, just for the simple joy of wiping that smirk off of his face.

“I suppose I should get going,” Kise murmured as he began slowly backing away from the counter. Luckily, no one else was filing into the shop, because he would have stumbled over someone with his incautious ways. Before finally reaching the door, he brought his cup to his lips and took a quick sip of the heated liquid. “Mmm… this isn’t bad!” Yeah, well no shit. Aomine didn’t like his job, but he was damn good at it. “Thank you once again! I’ll see you two soon, okay? Take care!”

And like that, he was gone.

“He was pleasant,” Satsuki added with a smile as the both of them watched Kise’s back disappear into the crowd of people outdoors.

Aomine couldn’t bring himself to disagree, so instead, he scoffed and put his hand in her face as to push her away from his area.

 

* * *

 

“Good morning!!” Kise barged into the shop for the next morning with a wide grin, despite the long line ahead of him. Aomine languidly brought his gaze up from the cash register and narrowed his eyes, because _it was too damn early._ Unlike the day before, customers were filing in at limitless numbers.

“He’s back,” Satsuki murmured enthusiastically in a secretive manner, as though Aomine didn’t notice or actually gave a shit. The tone of her voice irritated him a bit, because it was as though she were taunting him. Which was most likely not the case, being that he was most irritable in the morning. Even the most polite of gestures could be taken the wrong way by the tanned male when it came to his childhood friend.

She was just too… observant. Nothing could go past Satsuki unknown, definitely when it came to perceptible matters. Not that there was necessarily anything to be observed in that situation… Sure, Kise was good looking, and had a bright personality…

But he was annoying.

“Hello, Aomine _cchi_!” Kise greeted as he reached the front of the line. He leaned against the counter, and then minimally lifted a hand as to wave to Satsuki. Aomine shot a peevish glare in his direction, and his posture seemed to instantly stiffen. What made him think that he could just go around and lean against anything he wants? Kise gazes a bit blankly at him, as though he was completely oblivious to his apparent frustrated demeanor.

“How can I help you?” The inquiry was rather bland and unwelcoming.

“Vanilla latte with no sugar.” The same as last time. Usually, that would be expected from a reoccurring customer, but Kise seemed to be the type of guy that would order something different every visit…

Though, he supposed only some things could be read through the order of someone’s coffee.

“Ah, you have a good memory,” Kise added in an amused tone as he watched Aomine grab a cup and begin writing his name on the plastic. That could be argued. He didn’t necessarily have a good memory, just a selective one. If it was something that didn’t divert him, such as schoolwork, he would forget it within seconds. And he was never essentially good with names. It usually took him weeks before finally engraving a person’s name within his mind. But the blond was… memorable.

“For someone’s who’s a model, you look pretty surprised,” Aomine muttered indifferently.

“Well, you don’t necessarily look like the type to remember names.”

“I’m not.”

Kise’s smile only widened as he pushed himself away from the counter. “Have you taken your break yet?”

The question caught him off guard, and he arched a brow out of curiosity. “No, why?”

Tapping his fingers on the countertop, Kise nudged his chin over his shoulder a bit. “You don’t look like you’re having that great of a day. And I think now would be the best time to use it…”

Somewhat confused with what the other was trying to imply, Aomine glanced over Kise’s shoulder only to see a group of people making their way into the coffee shop. A scarcely audible curse word slipped past his lips as he brought his gaze back to Kise. “Satsuki I’m taking my break.” He turned around swiftly and began hurrying out of the station before any other customers could make it to the counter and halt his escape.

“Hm? Already? Okay, Dai-chan, but remember that you need to be back in thirty minutes!” She called after him. “And don’t fall asleep!”

After successfully clocking out, Aomine plopped down into a seat in the corner of the shop and let out a sigh of relief. Despite that it was rather loud in the area, he could probably slip unconscious right then and there. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a decent amount of sleep…

“I saved your butt back there,” Kise stated playfully as he took a seat in the chair across from him.

“You saved my butt, huh?” Aomine looked a bit confused, because last time he had retrieved his coffee and left. Yet this time he felt the need to sit at his table and further bother him.

“…I have time to spare,” the blond stated factually as though he could read Aomine’s mind. “Are you always this grumpy?” A typical question. “Not that I mind. You seem to be interesting… grumpy or not.”

Usually, such a comment would upset Aomine, and only cause his sullen demeanor to further worsen. “Just tired.” But he couldn’t seem to bring himself to be irrational towards the blond.

“You work in a coffee shop, Aomine _cchi…_ I would think such a problem would be easily resolvable for you.”

“I don’t like coffee.”

“How ironic,” Kise grinned slightly before taking a sip of his steaming beverage. “So what are you? A hot chocolate type of guy?”

“No.” _Yes_. Although, he wouldn’t go out of his way to buy a cup, it was much more preferred than coffee. He could sense a mocking tone to the blond’s voice, so he blurted out a lie as to avoid embarrassment. Not that it was necessarily something that he should be embarrassed about… considering that it was just a beverage… _Fuck_ , he was an idiot.

“I mean, I’d rather drink hot chocolate than coffee, if that’s what you mean,” he admitted after feeling a tinge of guilt for lying.

“Mn, so you’re more of a sweet typa’ guy than a bitter one.”

“…Hah?”

“You know… you’d rather have a sugary drink than a bitter one,” Kise rephrased his statement.

Aomine didn’t see what the other was trying to get at, so he hesitated before finally responding, “I suppose.”

The grin plastered to Kise’s face widened as he lowered the brim of his cup away from his lips. “I used to be the same way… when I was a child.”

“Funny,” Aomine scoffed in a sarcastic manner, and leaned back in his seat.

A sudden silence fell over them, and they remained that way for the rest of Aomine’s break. Usually, being accompanied in such a way would cause the blue-haired male to feel uncomfortable. Some would even consider the muteness to be awkward, or unpleasant. But, for once, Aomine didn’t mind. It was nice being able to sit with someone and enjoy their company without having to say much. And seeing as Kise’s smile remained set on his face the whole time, it seemed that he felt the same. That, or he was just extremely cheery for no given reason.

“I have to get back to work…”

“Oh, wow. It’s been thirty minutes already?” Kise watched as Aomine stood up from his seat with wide eyes. “I should get going as well. It’s really nice here, I think I’ll visit more often,” his smile seemed to beam with the statement, and he pushed his seat away from the table as to stand up as well. “Anyways, thanks for letting me sit with you.”

“It’s no big deal.” Because it wasn’t. Besides, it was a public seat. He couldn’t necessarily tell Kise that he was not allowed to sit there.

Kise nodded, and averted his gaze elsewhere as he muttered, “I guess I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah…”

“…Bye,” the blond waved slightly, and then awkwardly made his way past Aomine as to exit the shop.

“…Yeah…”

 

* * *

 

Kise visited again the next day, and Aomine took his break as soon as he stepped through the entrance with his usual animated grin.

“So, tell me more about yourself, Aomine _cchi,_ ” Kise suggested as the two claimed the same table they had the day prior.The first ten minutes of the tanned male’s break was spent listening to the other blabber on about his job and friends. He didn’t mind, really. Kise was interesting, and listening to him go on about the things he enjoys gave Aomine some sense of contentment…

Kise set his cup on the table before saying: “It seems I do most of the talking.” _Obviously._

“…I’m not good with this type of shit,” Aomine admitted as he watched the blond take a long sip of his coffee. He didn’t understand how Kise could drink that shit every day. Definitely without sugar.

“What do you mean? Talking about yourself should be the easiest.”

“Easy for you to say…” Aomine turned his gaze away from the blond and let out a low sigh. Unlike his yearning for the spotlight while playing basketball, he hated when the attention was turned to him. Although the conversation was just between him and Kise, he felt as though every customer in the shop had their eyes on him.

The usual smile coated on Kise’s face faltered a bit. “How about I ask you questions…? And you can just answer yes or no… like a game!!” Excitement seemed to rush through him as he stated his last statement.

“I suppose.” Fuck. What was he getting himself in to? “Does that mean I have to ask you questions as well?” He leans forward in his seat as to rest his elbow on the tabletop and prop his chin in the palm of his hand.

“Sure! I’ll go first… Is Momoi _cchi_ your girlfriend?”

Aomine’s brows furrowed instantly upon hearing Kise’s first question, and the answer sputtered out of his mouth faster than he could manage, “No.” It was a bit strange to think that, out of all of the things he could have asked, that was the first inquiry that came to his mind. And out of all the people… _Satsuki_? Though, he supposed it was somewhat understandable. The two were childhood friends, and spent the most time with each other. It was obvious that they were more than just acquainted.

“Okay, okay,” Kise stated in an apologetic manner. “I was just curious. You two seem close and all…”

“And you figured that much out in just three days…”

“You’d be surprised what I can do in just one, Aomine _cchi_.” His smirk was irritating. “It’s your turn to ask me a question.”

“This is stupid.”

“Well, it’s the only way to get you to talk,” Kise frowned. It took a lot to make Aomine feel bad. In fact, he couldn’t even remember the last time he felt guilt for another person. He was selfish and inconsiderate. And he wasn’t ashamed of admitting it. But, _dammit_ , the way the blond was looking at him was making him feel like an ass.

“Do you like coffee?”

“Aomine _cchi_ ,” Kise deadpanned.

And from that day forward, Kise would continue to visit the coffee shop, and Aomine would take his break so that they could further partake in their conversational game. As the days went past, the questions became more personal. Simply because, they were running out of meek things to ask. And the more Aomine learned about Kise, the more he wanted to know.

“Have you ever been kissed in the rain?”

“The rain?” Aomine quirked a brow, because, _wow_ this guys was such a hopeless romantic that sometimes it made him want to throw up. “My life isn’t a romance novel, Kise.”

 Kise laughed. “Okay then… have you ever been kissed at all?”

“Yes.”

“Have you ever touched second base with a girl?”

“If you’re asking if I’m a virgin, then no,” Aomine answered with a seemingly annoyed expression. “Besides, isn’t it my turn to ask a question?”

“Sorry, I’m just interested.”

“So, what about you?”

“What?” Kise feigned ignorance.

“Are you a virgin?”

Silence fell over the two for a few lingering seconds, and Kise averted his gaze. Was he… embarrassed? Aomine couldn’t deny that the sight was strangely adorable; perhaps it was the way his cheeks tinted a slight pink, or the way his usual smile faltered into a thin straight line. But, it had been him that initiated the subject first… so Aomine couldn’t fathom as to why he looked so uncomfortable all of a sudden.

“No,” Kise finally responded. He took a drink of his coffee as an attempt to hide his apparent humiliation. “But just because girls throw themselves at me, that doesn’t mean I take advantage of them, okay? I’ve only been intimate with one person.”

Seeing as things were becoming too personal, Aomine kicked Kise’s foot underneath the table as to initiate a harmless foot war. It was a childish move, but at the time, it was the first thing that came to his mind as an attempt to lighten the mood. At first the blond seemed to be a bit surprised by the fact, and his eyes widened minimally.

“Aomine _cchi_ , you’re going to ruin my shoes…” Though, he didn’t hesitate in further partaking in footsies.

 

* * *

 

It was dark outside, and raining. Not to mention that it was also freezing. Three of Aomine’s least preferred conditions, and they were all taking place at once. He was the last one in the shop; it was his task to close that day. And, _god_ , he had never hated his job so much in his life. His apartment was about three blocks away, but seeing as he didn’t bring an umbrella, he had no intentions of leaving the building anytime soon.

Instead, he stood by the door with his hand set on the handle; his eagerness to leave having overcome his patience. Perhaps if he ran, he could avoid getting soaked and conceivably sick. He watched as people walked by with their transparent plastic umbrellas, and an exasperated sigh escaped his lips.

_Fuck it._

Aomine pushed the door open and pulled out his keys from his pocket as to lock it. He was planning to book it. Probably not the best idea, considering there were still people making their way home, and with his size, he would most likely end up knocking a few people over. But that was his least of concerns at that moment.

“Shit,” he muttered as he struggled to lock the door. By that time, he was already soaked, and he felt like an idiot. He could feel the eyes of bypassers glaring at him curiously, and it only further provoked him. _How fucking annoying_.

“Aomine _cchi_?”

 _Fuck_.

He gradually turned around with an impassive expression; the water dripping down his face only making the sight that more humorous. Aomine couldn’t manage to stay upset for long, because that damn face… and those warm golden hues that seemed to melt into his own like caramel over a burner. Kise was holding an umbrella over his head, and his usual enthusiastic smile was set on his lips. Aomine had never felt so…

… _Relieved_.

“What are you doing here?” He gasped a bit as the cold air bit at his tanned skin.

“Paying you my daily visit!” Kise chirped, and began further approaching Aomine. “Sorry, I couldn’t come in for my morning cup of coffee. Some things happened with my agency…”

“You apologize over stupid things,” Aomine muttered, and nodded a bit gratefully as Kise shuffled next to him and made room for him underneath his umbrella. “Thank you…”

“You say it’s stupid, but I know you missed me.”

“I didn’t.”

Kise willingly walked Aomine home, and naturally, did most of the talking. He was a bit grateful for that much, because he was nearly freezing his ass off and conversation while dealing with chattering teeth wasn’t ideal. They stood close to each other, so that the umbrella would manage to protect both of them from the pouring rain. Every now and then, Kise would nudge Aomine a bit, and he felt as though a surge of energy would shoot up his arm. He wondered if Kise felt the same thing.

“Right here,” Aomine pointed to his apartment complex and came to a halt. The blond ceased his talking as he stopped alongside Aomine with a pleased smile.

“You should hurry inside and take a warm bath,” Kise suggested. The reddened tint to his cheekbones and the tip of his nose contrasted appealingly with his usual pale skin. _Fuck_. Aomine’s stomach dropped, and he felt as though his throat had gone dry. _Fuck, fuck, fuck._ Kise was beautiful.

It wasn’t just his apparent attractiveness that engrossed Aomine. He was attractive in every way. He looked nice, he smelled nice, he dressed nice, and _hell_ , he had a nice personality. Aomine bit his tongue as the thoughts resonated through his mind, because he was _infatuated_ with Kise…

“Kise… How about you?” A fog emitted from his lips as he spoke.

“Huh?”

“Have you ever been kissed in the rain?”

The other seemed to be caught off guard with the sudden inquiry, and he slowly shook his head ‘no’, as though he were lost for words. How… _odd._ He had never seen Kise so timid before, and although he enjoyed the animated side of the blond, it was an interesting sight.

Aomine leaned in slowly, and grasped his face between the palms of his hands. He expected Kise to pull away, or retaliate against such a thing. But he seemed more than willing… as though it was what he _wanted._

“How about now?” Aomine murmured before closing the distance between the two, and kissing the blond gently. Kise gasped a bit before letting the umbrella he was holding slip from his grip, and drop to the puddled ground beneath them.

His lips were pleasantly soft, and it only made Aomine hesitant to pull away.

 

* * *

 

It was bold of him, but he finally decided that he would _ask Kise out_ the next day… take him out on a real date where they could get to know each other over something other than coffee. Aomine wasn’t essentially the romantic type, but he thought, hell, why not try something new?...

That was, until Kise didn’t visit the next day… or the day after that…

_A month had past._

Aomine tried to convince himself that he wasn’t worried, but he was never very good at lying. Definitely when it came to lying to himself.

Soon his worry turned into anger. He began to grow bitter towards anything that reminded him of Kise. Anytime a customer would order a vanilla latte, Aomine’s expression would twist up into a scowl, and his demeanor would instantly transition into a peevish one. He had finally gained the courage to open up to someone… and just like everyone in his past, he disappeared. He felt abandoned…

Had their kiss even meant anything to him?

Each passing day Satsuki would tell Aomine to smile, that he would be okay. And the more she said it, the more resentful he grew towards Kise.

“Where’s Ki-chan? I haven’t seen him in a while,” Satsuki asked one day as they both began preparing for closing.

“How am I supposed to know?” Aomine murmured in a hostile tone as he grabbed a broom.

Satsuki frowned and dropped the subject, because she knew Aomine better than anyone else. Pushing the matter would only further upset him, and make things worse. Instead she grabbed the broom from his hands and gave him a small smile of assurance. “Go home early. You deserve it.”

 

* * *

 

“Good morning!”

 _Shit_. Aomine felt as though his stomach had plummeted to his feet, and he squeezed his eyes shut as to prepare himself for the customer approaching. _He has to be fucking kidding_. It had been nearly a month and a half, yet there he was, bursting through the entrance all cheery and glowing as though he hadn’t been missing in action.

“Aomine _cchi_ ,” Kise greeted as he reached the front of the line.

 _Shit, shit._ Aomine proceeded to ignore him; his fingers slightly trembling as he began punching in his usual order into the cash register. He couldn’t even bring himself to look up…

“Are you going to take your break?” The blond didn’t seem to take note that he wasn’t dealing with his bullshit, at least not at that moment.

“No. We’re busy,” Aomine muttered under his breath as he grabbed a cup and began writing Kise’s name on it. It was the weekend. And not many people – except for a few teens taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi, and an old couple silently enjoying each other’s presence – were in the shop that morning.

“Oh…” Kise’s cheerful demeanor faltered.

_Shit, shit, shit._

“I’ll just… leave you alone, then… sorry…” Kise said, and then made his way to the end of the counter where he retrieved his coffee not too long after, and hurriedly left the shop.

“…You should have taken your break, Dai-chan,” Satsuki stated with a seemingly worried expression. Aomine ignored her.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Aomine sucked it up and took his break as soon as Kise walked in. No more holding back or being passive aggressive, he told himself. If he liked Kise, then he had to stop being an immature prick and prove it to him.

“Go out on a date with me.”

Kise looked up at him with a slightly wavering look, and pushed a bit of his hair behind his ear. “You’re not mad at me?” His voice cracked, and the sound nearly broke Aomine’s heart.

“No…” He lied. “I mean…” Fuck, he was never good at this kind of stuff. “I was. But I hate that feeling… of being mad at you. So… let me take you out.”

He felt so… helpless at that moment. Although, he was in a way. Helplessly infatuated with some stupid model.

“I didn’t mean to disappear like that. A job in Paris opened up, and I couldn’t turn it down… I’m sorry I didn’t find a way to contact you, or something. But I did think about you a lot, if that means anything.” Kise smiled. “I’d love to go out with you, Aomine _cchi_.”

 

* * *

 

Dammit, he was horrible at these things. It was raining again, and just like last time, Aomine was soaked. Standing outside of Kise’s door with a bouquet of flowers (hell if he knew what kind they were) that he decided to pick up on the way, and a peevish expression. The sky was clear before he had left, and when he had gotten about half way there, heavy clouds rolled in and rain began to fall from the sky. _Just his luck_.

He wasn’t… boyfriend material. Whatever the hell that was. But he assumed it was someone that actually checked the weather and planned out dates accordingly. They probably had cars, too. And enough money to afford roses rather than some random bouquet of flowers that cost the least.

Kise couldn’t help but giggle as he opened the door to his apartment. “You have a thing for getting caught out in the rain, don’t you?”

The blond let him into his home, and happily accepted the soggy flowers from his hands with a courteous grin. “It’s the thought that counts, Aomine _cchi._ Really. Don’t worry about it.”

“Yeah, but I… really wanted to take you out somewhere nice—”

Kise’s laugh caused his voice to trail off, and he dropped his statement mid-sentence. What was so damn funny? He could feel his jaw clenching as he watched the other find humor in the situation, and his chapped lips pressed into a straight line. Here he was, trying to do something out of his character, to show Kise that he wasn’t just some grumpy barista stuck behind a bar, and he regretted it so damn much.

“I like my men like I like my coffee,” Kise said after his laughter died down.

 _What_? Aomine didn’t understand what Kise was trying to imply because… he certainly couldn’t be compared to a venti vanilla latte. Perhaps he meant… unsweetened? Hot?

“Simple,” Kise finally elaborated as he placed the dripping bouquet of flowers down on his kitchen counter. “Having you here is enough. Don’t worry about the date.”

Taking light of the comment, Aomine leaned against Kise’s counter and grinned smugly before stating, “Well I like my men how I like my hot chocolate.”

“And how is that?”

“Steamy, frothy, whipped cream overflowing over the brim—”

“Aomine _cchi_!” Kise pulled a flower from the bunch and threw it at him as to shut him up. The flower head hit him square in the face, and Aomine seemed to be annoyed with the fact, but after a few seconds of intense glaring, he rushed after Kise and pulled him into a wet hug. The blond struggled in his grip; laughing and shouting about how cold and unpleasantly soaked he was. Though, after a while, he gave up and embraced him.

They spent the next few hours sprawled out on the ground, because Aomine refused to borrow any of his tight fitting clothes, and Kise refused to let him sit on his couch while dressed in damp attire. The two of them continued forth with their ‘yes or no’ game. But instead, things were much more intimate than usual.

“Do you like being kissed here?” Aomine asked as he pressed a kiss to Kise’s temple.

“Yes.”

“Mn… How about here?” A kiss along his jawline.

“Yes.”

“Here?” His neck.

“…Yes.”

Aomine continued to pepper exposed areas of Kise’s body in kisses, until, at one point, they meet gazes. It was so damn annoying, yet so damn refreshing how the blond could make his heart race with just one look. It was as though he was excited, and scared… and aroused all at one time. And, _fuck_ , he couldn’t deny that he loved the feeling.

There was a soft, welcoming glint within Kise’s golden hues that pushed him over the edge, and he decided right then and there that he wanted no one else. He found the one person that made him most happy.

Maybe his life was a romance novel after all. At least, he didn’t mind the thought so much, anymore.

They had sex on the ground. Kise helped him peel off his wet clothes off unhurriedly, and kissed every inch of his skin with in a gentle, yet desirous way. It was loud, heated, _‘god, I’ve been wanting to do this for so_ long’ sex. And Aomine was sure that they had disrupted the neighbors with the volume of their heated encounter, though he could care less at that time. He made sure to leave kiss marks on multiple areas of the blond’s body. It was a pleasant sight, the color his skin would turn after Aomine would cravingly suck on it.

“Aomine _cchi._ One more question, and then we can stop this silly game.”

“Mmkay,” Aomine’s words are slurred, partially because he’s out of breath, and his body was nearly numb. He ran his hand soothingly up and down the blond’s spine, and the feeling of his moisturized skin sent pleasurable chills through his calloused fingers.

“Do you love anyone?”

Kise looked up at Aomine; his blond hair hanging loose in his face and his lips swollen from their forceful kissing. Aomine didn’t need to say anything because… he was sure the blond could see it in his eyes. Instead, he leaned over to press their lips together. _This game is stupid anyways._

Somehow, despite them both being sore and out of breath from their previous intercourse, the two of them managed to make their way to Kise’s bed. And waste no time in going at it again.

“My agent is going to kill me,” Kise muttered as he made his way back to his bed with a cup of coffee.

Aomine looked up to see Kise’s chest covered in marks, and the sight caused his lips curl up into a pleased smile. “It suits you.”

“Says you…” Kise leaned over to press a lingering kiss to his lips.

He tasted bitter, yet sweet at the same time; like unsweetened vanilla latte.

 _Perhaps coffee isn’t so bad, after all_.


End file.
